NESAC to Assist Northeastern States with Diverse Development Initiatives

Agartala/Shillong, Dec 8 (NationPress) The eight northeastern states are set to request the full support of the North Eastern Space Application Centre (NESAC) to oversee numerous developmental initiatives, including flood control, irrigation, tourism, afforestation, and agricultural projects in the region.

A senior official from NESAC mentioned that for several years, the northeastern states have benefited from the technologies provided by the space application centre located in Meghalaya’s Umiam.

“An important meeting of NESAC is scheduled to take place in Agartala on December 22 to evaluate the various projects and outcomes associated with NESAC. The meeting will be attended by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) Chairman Dr. S. Somanath,” the official informed IANS.

The Union Home Minister serves as the President of the NESAC Society, while the ISRO chief holds the position of Chairman for the NESAC Governing Council.

To ensure the timely and effective implementation of numerous projects and schemes, the Central government has been actively monitoring their progress and accuracy using satellite, drone, and mobile applications, as stated by the official.

He noted that hundreds of projects have been identified across over 2,000 locations in the eight states, all of which have been geo-tagged through satellite images and mobile apps.

According to the official, the Union Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), in partnership with NESAC, has developed a project monitoring mobile application.

Established in 2000 as a collaborative effort between the Department of Space and the Shillong-based North Eastern Council (NEC), NESAC plays a crucial role in regional development.

The NESAC review meeting on December 22 is part of the 72nd Plenary Session of the NEC, which will convene in Agartala on December 20-21.

During previous NEC meetings, Amit Shah encouraged the Chief Ministers to fully utilize the facilities at NESAC for flood control, irrigation, tourism, afforestation, and agricultural work in the region.

The Home Minister has asserted that the Centre is dedicated to making the northeast flood and drug-free within the upcoming years, and he has called for a ban on single-use plastic to protect the environment.

“Efforts have been made to enhance the use of technology in administration through NESAC,” stated the Home Minister.

It was determined in earlier meetings that each northeastern state should designate a nodal officer for NESAC to maximize and better utilize the resources available at the space application centre.

In the NEC Plenary Session, DoNER Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, Governors, Chief Ministers of the eight northeastern states, and high-ranking officials from the Central government and all northeastern states will participate.

The NEC plenary session was initially planned for August 31 and September 1 but was postponed due to severe flooding in Tripura.

An official from the Tripura Planning Department noted that the progress of various ongoing and proposed development projects, along with other critical matters, will be discussed during the NEC meeting.

In a previous NEC meeting held in Shillong, the Union Home Minister stated that, over the past 50 years, the NEC has accelerated the region's development by providing a policy-related platform for all states and simplifying solutions to their issues.

He emphasized that in over five decades, more than 12,000 km of roads have been built in this region, 700 MW power plants established, and numerous institutes of national excellence created under the guidance of NEC.

Highlighting the role and scope of NEC under the Act East Policy, the Home Minister stated that in recent years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government has made significant progress in addressing law and order issues, insurgency, and border challenges in this area.

With its headquarters in Meghalaya's capital Shillong, the NEC is a regional planning and statutory advisory body for the eight northeastern states, including Sikkim, established under the North Eastern Council Act, 1971, and officially launched on November 7, 1972.

(Sujit Chakraborty can be reached at sujitchakrabortyne@gmail.com)